Top Gaming Headsets 2017: Review of the Best High-End Wired Headsets for PC

Last Updated: Oct 2, 2017

Here we review the current best high-end, top gaming headsets for PC to help you shop a little smarter when on the hunt for the best gaming audio experience. Choosing the best high-end gaming headset for your particular budget isn't always a simple task and it's easy to get lost amid the many models out there all with varying features and specs.

Keep in mind this is a review of the best WIRED gaming headsets; head on over to the top wireless gaming headsets if you want the added freedom of wireless technology and don't mind sacrificing a little on quality (wired offers the best quality) and you don't mind having to charge your headset every once in a while.

Also, if these top gaming headsets are out of your budget, you can still pick up a decent headset for PC gaming for quite a bit less money that won't sacrifice on quality too much: check out the best cheap headsets under $50, and also the best budget headsets under $100 if you don't want to spend an arm and a leg on a decent headset.

But if you're after the cream of the crop for the very best gaming audio (and music) experience; keep reading. An important thing to mention first is that if you're going to be investing into a top PC gaming headset, whilst not totally necessary it's definitely recommended to buy a decent dedicated sound card or external amplifier to make the most of them.

Without further ado let's get into the top gaming headsets for 2017 if you don't want to leave quality to chance:

Best High-End Gaming Headset Under $200 for 2017

If you're looking for the best high-end gaming headset under 200 dollars, the Sennheiser PC 360 is an excellent choice. It's an older model that has been around for years that used to sell for a lot more, but it's still relevant today as a very solid choice for PC gamer's and at great bang for your buck these days.

If you don't know the Sennheiser brand, come the end of this review of the best 2017 headsets you certainly will; they are one of the most trusted names in the headset game. Especially if you're on the hunt for the top gaming headsets on the market as they offer plenty of high-quality and highly comfortable models that are hard to ignore.

A stand out feature of the PC 360 headset is its open-back design, as opposed to most gaming headsets and their closed-back design.

You can learn more about open-back vs closed-back headsetsbut basically the open design allows for air to flow to your ears meaning better cooling and overall comfort especially during longer gaming sessions.

Although keep in mind that the open design may actually be a con for some people, as an open-back design allows you to more easily hear noises around you, for example if you're at a LAN event and trying to concentrate on kicking some butt; you'll be able to hear everything going on around you fairly clearly such as that guy sitting opposite you shouting loudly.

A closed design allows for more sound insulation (and some would say immersion), but at the cost of less potential comfort (in some people's eyes) because your ears may get hotter and sweatier because of the lack of air.

It really down to personal preference, how much you care about comfort vs sound insulation, as well as the specific model/s in question (eg our top pick at the end of this review is a closed-design but is supremely comfortable for long gaming sessions).

Anyway, you'll also be hard pressed trying to find a better gaming headset under $200 with this kind of sound clarity and quality.

And whilst it doesn't have 5.1/7.1 surround sound (it's a stereo headset) you have to remember they are not necessary if you get a quality stereo headset such as this one as it still allows for immersive, accurate directional sound especially if you hook it up to a sound card like the SoundBlaserZ which will allow for virtual surround sound.

The mic is also great quality and has effective sound cancellation to block out unwanted external noise when chatting. You can easily mute and un-mute the microphone by flipping it up or down.

To top things off this headset looks the part too with a slick, professional design. Overall the Sennheiser PC 360 is highly recommended and our top pick for the best high-end gaming headset under $200.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Impedance:

Connections:

Platforms:

Cable Length:

Microphone:

Sennheiser PC 360

Open-back / Open-ear

Stereo

15 - 28,000 Hz

50 Ohms

1 x 3.5 mm

PC, Mac, PS4

3m

Noise Canceling, Folding

Best High-End Gaming Headset Under $300 for 2017

Now we start getting into the absolute highest-quality, top gaming headsets on the market for the pro gamers and sound enthusiasts, and the awesome Sennheiser Game One takes the crown as the best high-end gaming headset under 300 dollars (in our honest opinion).

The Game One is a gem of a headset for many reasons and will not let you down if you're after superior quality, comfort and features to take your gaming audio experience (and music) to the next level.

Like the above PC 360 headset, the Game One has an open-ear design which helps make it one of the comfiest gaming headsets around as it allows for airflow to your ears which helps you avoid that icky sweaty feeling after those longer gaming sessions.

But if you prefer the closed-ear style, which offers better sound insulation at the expense of slightly less comfort (for some people), we'd recommend the Sennheiser Game Zero which is pretty much the same headset as the Game One but with a closed-ear design instead.

Again, getting a sound card or external amplifier is suggested to take full advantage of a headset of this caliber.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Impedance:

Connections:

Platforms:

Cable Length:

Microphone:

Sennheiser Game One

Open-back / Open-ear

Stereo

15 - 28,000 Hz

50 Ohms

2 x 3.5mm / 1 x 3.5 mm

PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One

3m (PC & Mac) 1.2m (Consoles)

Noise Canceling, Folding

Best Extreme Gaming Headset for 2017 (no budget limit)

If you won't stand for anything but the best, the Beyerdynamic MMX 300 Gaming Headset is the pinnacle of quality and comfort. Other top gaming headsets don't really come close; it's a clear standout model that'll please hardcore gamers and audiophiles without a budget restriction who seek nothing but the best of the best. It was actually initially made for pilots and then adapted to the PC to suit professional gamers.

For those wondering why a headset of this price isn't wireless; wired can't be beat for the best studio-quality sound. The mic is also of the highest quality, allowing for perfectly loud and clear communication, and highly effective noise cancellation which suppresses background and ambient noise; ideal for loud environments such LAN or tournament parties.

The Beyerdynamic MMX 300 has a closed-ear design which makes for the most immersive experience, but don't let that fool you into thinking it's not comfortable for long gaming sessions because it's hands down once of comfiest headsets around (and lightweight too).

Simply put, out of all the top gaming headsets on the market right now that we considered including in this review, the MMX 300 is king and it may be a very worthwhile investment that'll last you years and years.

Model:

Style:

Audio:

Frequency Response:

Impedance:

Connections:

Platforms:

Cable Length:

Microphone:

Beyerdynamic MMX 300

Closed-back / Closed-ear

Stereo

5 - 30,000 Hz

32 Ohms

2 x 3.5mm, 6.35mm Adapter

PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One

3m (PC & Mac) 1.2m (Consoles)

Noise Canceling, Folding

About the Author

A hobbyist game programmer turned hardware enthusiast, Julien "cyberjulz" is the founder of BGC and has kept a keen eye on the latest in DIY gaming ever since starting BGC back in '06 as an almost laughably-basic and brief 20 page site with the aim to make building PCs more accessible to the average gamer since most resources weren't too noob friendly. Over countless reinventions and reiterations to the quality, depth and usefulness of the content over many years the site has steadily grown into the expansive, comprehensive and ever-updated first-time PC builder resource that it is today that now reaches and helps thousands of gamers and power users each month to more easily plan optimal setups for their exact needs. You can learn more about the BGC mission and ways to support it here.

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